Finally, Justinian I, the Christian emperor of Byzantine heard of the torture the Christians were being prone to and wrote a letter to the Abyssinian King Nebus asking him to take vengeance for the Christians, for it was impossible for him to travel to Yemen at that time due to distance. The Abyssinian King Nebus, on the other hand, was right next to Yemen; it would not be a great inconvenience for him. 

Upon this request, King Nebus sent an army of 70 thousand soldiers to Yemen to attack Zu Navas. The army was led by a commander called Aryad, who in a short time invaded Yemen causing great massacre in the nearby neighborhoods.

Zu Navas was defeated. When he saw he had no way out he rode his horse into the sea and committed suicide. Aryad continued his slaughter sparing no one from his cruelty. 

The people helplessly and desperately asked Abraha to save them, who then attacked Aryad. After a long and bloody battle Abraha killed Aryad and took reign over Yemen. 

Abraha was now the sole sovereign of Himyar.

However, when King Nebus heard this, he was offended; he took it as a rebellion to himself and swore, “If I don’t shave his head and stamp his soil may my path be damned!”

Not long after Abraha received the news… He immediately shaved his head and put his hair in a bag, and filled another bag with Yemen soil and sent it to King Nebus. 

Abraha’s petition was as follows:

“O Sultan of Sultans!

Aryad was your servant, I too am your slave… He engaged in atrocious violent acts in Yemen that would bring shame and dishonor to Nebus.

Unable to tolerate it any longer I was forced to take action and stop him from bringing shame to your name. My aim is to raise your command and honor even higher in Himyar. I have heard of your oath regarding your slave and so I am sending you all of my hair that I have shaved off and the soil of Yemen. Put it under your feet and stamp on it so that your oath will be fulfilled.

Your slave Abraha…”

Lauded, King Nebus sent his word of forgiveness and commanded him to stay there for some time more. 

The capital city of South Africa at the time was Sana. Nevertheless, most polytheists would visit the Kaaba during the season of pilgrimage. This made Abraha think… How was it that so many people would travel such long distances to visit four walls filled with stones and idols?

He asked those in his service, “What is this building made of?”

They answered, “Stones!” 

“And what is it covered with?”

“A dappled cloth from Yemen.”

Abraha then made an oath in the name of Jesus that he would build one much superior to it.

Construction commenced immediately. In a short period of time, an unmatched church was built called al-Kilis, one of a kind in the Arabian Peninsula… 

The stones were brought from the wrecks of Balkis, precious marble poles were erected inside it and the walls were covered with exceptional mosaic… Its doors were made of bronze plates fixed together with gold and silver nails. The floors were embellished with large pieces of colorful marble. The door that opened up to the altar was adorned with precious stones and the crosses in the church had large diamonds in their center.

When the construction was complete Abraha sent word that the biggest Christian church was built and invited, or more like forced, everyone to visit it, including the pilgrims who came to visit the Kaaba. 

This enforcement backlashed and in time, the people started to complain. Finally, one night, a man named Noofayl entered the church and excreted in front of the altar. He then left without anybody seeing him.

The next morning when the guards opened the church and saw the waste matter in front of the altar, they ran to Abraha to give him the news.  Abraha was outraged. He swore, “They did this because I made them turn away from the Arab Kaaba! I swear I will knock down their Kaaba to the ground!”

Abraha gathered an army of 60 thousand soldiers and marched towards the Kaaba. The army was led by a monstrous hybrid elephant named Mahmood, sent by King Nebus as reinforcement, followed by 12 normal elephants…

On the way, an Arab tribe tried to stop them, but to no success. Abraha’s army was storming on towards Mecca like an avalanche. The army stopped by Taif, where they were welcomed by its leaders and supported with a guide.

The people of Taif had never been on the side of the righteous in the past, they were also going to cause one of the greatest sufferings to our Master Muhammed.

The army lodged to take rest at a place that was half a day distance to Mecca. Meanwhile, Abraha sent a dispatch with one of the commanders in charge to inspect the environs of Mecca. The dispatch, along with the Tihama clan, plundered the goods of some of the nomads including 200 camels that belonged to Abdulmuttalib, our master’s grandfather, and returned to Abraha… 

One of the nomads who saw this ran to Abdulmuttalib and informed him of the situation. Upon this, Abdulmuttalib immediately set off to the base of Abraha.

There, he found Zu Nafr, the leader of one of the tribes that opposed Abraha on the way, who was now a captive, and explained the situation to him asking him for advice.

Zu Nafr told Abdulmuttalib to find Nooafayl, the camel rider, to give him his regards and ask him to arrange a meeting with Abraha…

Abdulmuttalib found Noofayl, explained the situation and asked him to arrange a meeting with Abraha.

Noofayl took Abdulmuttalib with him and went to Abraha’s tent. He went inside alone and said, “O great Sultan! The master of Quraish, the leader of the people, Abdulmuttalib has come to see you, he awaits permission to enter. Please be so kind as to accept him into your presence…”

Abraha had no business with the people of Mecca so he accepted Abdulmuttalib into his tent. 

When Abdulmuttalib entered, Abraha involuntarily stood up. Abdulmuttalib had a powerful force which Abraha could not make sense of… He walked towards him and said, “Welcome chief of Mecca!” and made him sit on the mattress next to his throne, then sat by his side. They began to converse with the aid of a translator….

“Tell me! What is it that you want from me?”

Abdulmuttalib explained, “Your dispatch raided our neighborhood and plundered 200 of my camels. I ask that you give my camels back…”

Abrahas face dropped… 

“When you entered my tent, you seemed like a great man! But now, after hearing your request, you hold no more value in my eye than a mosquito… For I have come to smash to the ground your most precious possession, the legacy of your ancestors, the Kaaba! Instead of asking me to back down and save the Kaaba, you’re asking for your camels?!”

Abdulmuttalib smiled and spoke distinctly:

“What is wrong with this O Sultan? I own the camels and am responsible of their protection. Therefore, I ask that you return them to me. As for the Kaaba, it is owned by Allah, so it is Allah’s responsibility to protect it!”

Abraha was furious.

“There is no power that can protect the Kaaba against me!”

Abdulmuttalib’s response was simple and clear:

“That is not my business. This is between you and the Allah, the owner of the Kaaba!”

Abraha commanded for the camels to be given back to Abdulmuttalib then ordered his army to prepare to strike as soon as possible.